Hidden Tenants: Microbiota of the Rhizosphere and Phyllosphere of Trees in Mayan Forests and Homegardens.

During domestication, the selection of cultivated plants often reduces microbiota diversity compared with their wild ancestors. Microbiota in compartments such as the phyllosphere or rhizosphere can promote fruit tree health, growth, and development. is a deciduous tree used by Maya people for its fruit and wood, growing, to date, in remnant forest fragments and homegardens (traditional agroforestry systems) in Yucatán.

Formin Homology 2 Domain Containing 3 (FHOD3) Is a Genetic Basis for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

Background: The genetic cause of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy remains unexplained in a substantial proportion of cases. Formin homology 2 domain containing 3 (FHOD3) may have a role in the pathogenesis of cardiac hypertrophy but has not been implicated in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Objectives: This study sought to investigate the relation between FHOD3 mutations and the development of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Clinical Findings and Prognosis of Danon Disease. An Analysis of the Spanish Multicenter Danon Registry.

Introduction And Objectives: Danon disease (DD) is caused by mutations in the LAMP2 gene. It is considered a multisystemic disease characterized by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with pre-excitation and extreme hypertrophy, intellectual disability, myopathy, childhood presentation, and worse prognosis in men. There are scarce data on the clinical characteristics and prognosis of DD.

Significant mitral regurgitation worsens the prognosis and favors the decision of conservative treatment in octogenarians with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis.

Introduction: The coexistence of significant mitral regurgitation (MR) and severe aortic stenosis is prevalent, has a prognostic impact and makes treatment in the elderly population a complex issue. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of significant MR among a population of octogenarians and its influence on treatment and prognosis.

Methods: We used the data from PEGASO (Pronóstico de la Estenosis Grave Aórtica Sintomática del Octogenario), a prospective registry that consecutively included 928 patients aged ≥80 years with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis.

Feasibility and reproducibility of feature-tracking-based strain and strain rate measures of the left ventricle in different diseases and genders.

Background: The measurement of myocardial deformation by strain analysis is an evolving tool to quantify regional and global myocardial function.

Purpose: To assess the feasibility and reproducibility of myocardial strain/strain rate measurements with magnetic resonance feature tracking (MR-FT) in healthy subjects and in patient groups.

Study Type: Prospective study.

Direct oral anticoagulants in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and atrial fibrillation.

Background: Chronic anticoagulation with vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) is recommended in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and atrial fibrillation (AF). Direct oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are an alternative to VKAs but there are limited data to support their use in HCM. We sought to describe the pattern of use, thromboembolic events, bleeding and quality of life in patients with HCM and AF treated with NOACs.

Expression of Sterol Regulatory Element-Binding Proteins in epicardial adipose tissue in patients with coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus: preliminary study.

Sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBP) genes are crucial in lipid biosynthesis and cardiovascular homeostasis. Their expression in epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) and their influence in the development of coronary artery disease (CAD) and type-2 diabetes mellitus remain to be determined. The aim of our study was to evaluate the expression of SREBP genes in EAT in patients with CAD according to diabetes status and its association with clinical and biochemical data.

Type 2 diabetes is associated with decreased PGC1α expression in epicardial adipose tissue of patients with coronary artery disease.

Background: Although recent studies indicate that epicardial adipose tissue expresses brown fat-like genes, such as PGC1α, UCP1 and PRDM16, the association of these genes with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) in coronary artery disease (CAD) remains unknown.

Methods: PGC1α, UCP1, and PRDM16 mRNAs expression levels were measured by real-time PCR in epicardial and thoracic subcutaneous adipose tissue from 44 CAD patients (22 with DM2 [CAD-DM2] and 22 without DM2 [CAD-NDM2]) and 23 non-CAD patients (NCAD).

Results: The CAD-DM2 patients had significantly lower PGC1α and UCP1 expression in epicardial adipose tissue than the CAD-NDM2 and NCAD patients.

Infective endocarditis in patients with bicuspid aortic valve: Clinical characteristics, complications, and prognosis.

Introduction: Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is the most frequent congenital cardiac disease. It is associated to a higher risk of cardiovascular complications, including infective endocarditis (IE).

Methods: Retrospective, observational and single centre study that included all patients with IE diagnosed between 1996 and 2014.